Preservation United Broomball Recap: 1/20/2015

Preservation United has returned – not from the depths of despair but from the stabbing pain that came from our first loss (forfeit). Some say that a tie is akin to kissing your sister but I’ll say this, I’m proud of this team.

Things were hard – for the first time this season we were down, to a very talented team no less. They controlled the ball, knew how to pass, could shoot and their women were really tough.

But we did not give up nor did we go quietly into that snowy night.

Claire VanderEyk continued making Broomball look good in the customary orange with a new pair of boots. It was clear this change had a drastic impact – Claire got her first shot on net of the season.

Josh Northey continued his record setting pace with more than a few saves that caused the other team to look at one another and ask how did he do that. The most impressive – a Howitzer of a shot that rather than use his gloves or even his chest, he showed no fear and blocked it with his head.

Matt Hill continues his role as the team bulldog, chasing down anyone with the ball and forcing them into mistakes. That kind of dirty work is what wins game – Matt Hill wins games.

Doug Gasek has removed all memory of his days as “Snow Angel” thanks to a technological enhancement leading to a faster, more aggressive and more agile athlete.

Emily Northey continues to solidify her position as the most positive player on the ice while secretly being an assassin. One moment she’ll be cheering a teammate for a good pass or stop and a split second later running into the opponent or knocking the ball away. Be warned other teams, do not take her positivity for weakness. She bears the bruises (or sprains) to show it.

Zack Mohlis is working on his backhand – rather than go down the center of the ice he’s taken the harder path – we don’t want him to score each time down the ice. We are all impressed by the dedication and work ethic he’s shown this game.

Erin Hanafin Berg showed us what it means to persevere through pain. Some may talk about Willis Reed and his broken leg, others Michael Jordan’s flu game but Preservation United will always remember her 7/8 game. Originally slated for the Injured Reserve, Erin stepped up and challenged conventional wisdom choosing to play the game. I heard spectators talking about how they saw her chase a player all the way around the whole rink all the time banging her stick making it clear that she was there and was prepared to take the ball away.

For the record, we tied the game 4-4 and we have our next (and final) game on Tuesday, January 27th at 5pm. It’s time for us to gather together to toast a successful season, hand out awards and have some off-ice fun so hopefully people can hang out after the game.